(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to N-{3- and 4-[R.sub.1 -(phenyl)-C(.dbd.X)]-phenyl-lower-alkyl}amines useful as anti-inflammatory agents.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A very large class of organic compounds of widely diverse structural types are known to be useful an anti-inflammatory agents, but many of such anti-inflammatory agents are acidic, for example .alpha.-(3-benzoylphenyl)propionic acid, known generically as ketoprofen (British Pat. No. 1,164,585, published Sept. 17, 1969). Such acidic agents are often irritating, and in some cases are ulcerogenic, to the gastric mucosa when administered orally. There is thus a great need for anti-inflammatory agents, for example compounds having a basic amine function, which might be expected to be nonirritating to the gastric mucosa. Although the chemical literature describes numerous types of amine-substituted compounds asserted to have anti-inflammatory activity [see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,770,748, patented Nov. 6, 1973 and 3,803,127 patented Apr. 9, 1974 (N-phenylpolymethyleneimines); U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,772,311, patented Nov. 13, 1973 and 3,773,772, patented Nov. 20, 1973 (polymethyleneimino-lower-alkanoylpyrazoles); U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,944, patented Nov. 20, 1973 (1-[3-aminopropyl]phthalans); U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,594, patented Apr. 2, 1974 (3-amino-lower-alkylindoles); U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,985, patented May 14, 1974 (4-anilino-1,3,5-triazines) and French Pat. No. 1,549,342, delivre November 4, 1968 (4-[benzoylphenylmethyl]morpholines)], no such basic compounds are known to be commercially available, and none are known to be under advanced investigation by pharmacologists for possible commercial development. The search for an effective, nonacidic anti-inflammatory agent for commercial development has therefore continued.